264: The Legal Singularity - How A.I. will Improve Our Profession (with Ben Alarie)

Let's journey into the fascinating world of law and technology with our extraordinary guest, Ben Alarie. He's not just a law professor, but also an entrepreneur and author who has put his expertise in an excitingly accessible format through his AI product, Ask Blue J. This ingenious tool simplifies tax law navigation, transforming complex databases into question-answering platforms. We also shed light on the concept of the 'legal singularity', a term coined by Ben himself in his new book, signifying the potential of AI to develop a more responsive and precise legal infrastructure.

Our conversation takes an interesting turn as we dig into the predictive power of machine learning in judicial decisions. Imagine an AI tool that could anticipate a judge's ruling in ambiguous scenarios, sounds like a sci-fi movie, right? Well, not anymore. Ask Blue J, Ben's brainchild, is changing the game, boasting over 90% accuracy in certain areas. We also address a unique AI issue, the ‘hallucination problem’ - illustrating how AI can sometimes veer off course when it lacks sufficient information.

Wrapping up our discussion, we touch upon the 80/20 principle, a guiding tenet that could be your key to success. It emphasizes getting the maximum return on investment with minimal effort. This enlightening conversation with Ben Alarie will not just keep you informed about the cutting-edge advancements in AI and machine learning in the legal field, but also inspire you to implement strategic principles for success in your professional journey. So, plug in those headphones and embark on this thought-provoking exploration of the legal industry's future.

In this episode, you will hear:

• The concept of the 'legal singularity' and the potential of AI in creating a responsive and precise legal infrastructure.
• Machine learning's predictive power in judicial decisions and the accuracy of Ask Blue J in certain areas.
• The ‘hallucination problem’ in AI, where it can go off course due to lack of sufficient information.
• Use of AI in diagnosing and rectifying social problems and achieving universal legal literacy.
• Implications of AI and technology for the future of the legal profession, legal education, and democracy.

Show Notes

• Read: The 80/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less, by Richard Koch
• Get my new email course: ChatGPT for Lawyers (it's free)
• BlueJ website: https://www.bluej.com 
• The Legal Singularity: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Law Radically Better, book by Ben Alarie
• Preet Bharara's podcast: Humanity, Security & AI, Oh My! with Ian Bremmer & Shuman Ghosemajumder)
• 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, by Yuval Noah Harari
• Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, by Yuval Noah Harari

General Resources

• The 80/20 Principle (my email newsletter)
• The 5 Pillars of a Tech-Powered Law Practice
• The Inner Circle (an online community for law firm owners)

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Episode Credits

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